Blind driver ordered to take extended test

Also banned for three years, naturally

The eyeless Iraqi driver pulled for operating a motor vehicle without MOT, licence, insurance, or eyes has been slapped with a suspended jail sentence, the BBC reports.

Omed Aziz, 31, attracted the attention of officers for driving on the wrong side of the road in Oldbury, West Midlands, at 35mph.

One of the officers at the scene told a previous court hearing: "I attempted to speak to the driver, who appeared to be fumbling around with the controls. At that point the passenger leaned across and stated: 'He's blind'."

His colleague added: "I asked him if he could see me. He removed the dark-coloured sunglasses he was wearing and I could clearly see he was blind as he had no eyes."

Aziz accepted the no MOT, licence, or insurance rap, but denied dangerous driving. Magistrates, however, yesterday gave him a 12 week jail sentence, suspended for a year, banned him from driving for three years, and ordered him to take an extended driving test. He was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £364.

We should at this point stress that magistrates were "required by law to order Aziz to take an extended driving test, if he ever decides to apply for a driving licence", as the BBC explains.

To add spice to yesterday's proceedings, the court enjoyed a nine minute delay in proceedings after the chairman of the bench, Richard Knight, "declared Aziz's t-shirt to be offensive and ordered him to remove it". Quite what the t-shirt said is not reported, but we'd like to suggest in mitigation that Aziz was likely oblivious to the fact that his mates had dressed him in a Manchester United away strip. ®